- HYROX Youngstars is a separate race format for children aged 8 to 15 years, run over 8 workout stations with running between them.
- The official HYROX Youngstars rulebook splits the field into eight divisions, each of the four age groups split into girls and boys.
- A HYROX Youngstars racer's age band is set by the racer's age on the day of the race, not their age when the ticket was booked.
- In the boys 14-15 division the official HYROX Youngstars rulebook sets the sled push at 102 kg (225 lb) over 30 metres, run as 4 lanes.
- Four HYROX Youngstars stations change the movement itself at an age boundary, not only how heavy or how far: the sled pull switches from a drag to a pull, the jump from frogger jumps to burpee broad jumps, the wall ball from a squat to a throw, and the lunge from unloaded to carrying a sandbag over twice the distance.
A parent looking at a HYROX Youngstars entry usually wants one answer: what does my child actually do on the day, and how much of that is decided by their age? The age band decides a lot. It sets the division they are ranked in, the shape of the running, the load on the sled, and at four stations it changes what the child actually does, not just how heavy or how far. This guide walks the age bands one at a time, using the Season 25/26 HYROX Youngstars rulebook as its source, and it reports the format rather than judging any child against it.
HYROX Youngstars in one paragraph
The official HYROX Youngstars rulebook for Season 25/26 describes the format as an adapted version of the age-group HYROX race, with repetitions, weights and running distance varied by age group and gender. It is open to children aged 8 to 15 years, and it runs the same station sequence a HYROX adult would recognise. In rulebook order that sequence is SkiErg, Sled Push, Sled Pull or Drag, Burpee Broad Jump or Frogger Jump, Rowing, Farmers Carry, Sandbag Lunges, Wall Balls or Squats. Three of those station names carry an "or", because the rulebook prints both variants wherever it gives the movement a second name. A fourth station changes its movement without a second name: the sandbag lunge, which is unloaded in the two youngest bands.
HYROX Youngstars runs on its own rulebook and its own season. The Youngstars figures on this page come from the Season 25/26 HYROX Youngstars rulebook listed in the references at the bottom. Where an adult HYROX figure is quoted for comparison, it is labelled as an adult figure and comes from the adult rules. Confirm anything load-related against the current edition before a race, since HYROX publishes updates between seasons.
Official HYROX footage of the format, from the HYROX channel:
Which band your child is in, and what that alone decides
The band rule is short. Per the HYROX Youngstars rulebook, a child's age group is decided by the racer's age on the day of the race, not their age when the ticket was booked. So a nine-year-old who has a tenth birthday between booking and race day races the older band, and nothing about the entry date changes that.
The format covers four age groups: 8-9, 10-11, 12-13 and 14-15 years. Those bands are then split by gender, giving 8 divisions in total. Results follow the same structure: rankings are decided on the fastest time within each age group and gender division, so a child is compared against others of the same age band and the same gender.
Two things split at different points, and the difference matters. The divisions are gender-split at all four bands, so a girl and a boy of the same age are ranked separately. The loads are not gender-split at all four bands. The table below states both, band by band.
The line between HYROX Youngstars and adult HYROX
Youngstars sits underneath the adult race rather than inside it. The adult minimum age is 16, and in the adult race the HYROX age groups change who you are ranked against without changing the loads you lift. Youngstars inverts that: the band changes the loads, the distances and in places the movement. If you are trying to place Youngstars against the adult structure, the HYROX divisions guide covers Open, Pro, doubles and relay, and the HYROX format overview covers the adult race itself.
The decision table, band by band
Rows are the four bands and columns are what the band changes for that child. The rulebook sets the load split this way: the 8-9 and 10-11 age groups use one load for both genders, and the 12-13 and 14-15 age groups split loads by gender.
| Age band on race day | Loads split by gender? | Running | Sled push | Sled pull or drag | Jump | Farmers carry | Sandbag or unloaded lunge | Wall ball or squat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8-9 | No, one load for girls and boys | an Entry lap, a Middle lap and an Exit lap | 35 kg (77 lb) over 15 metres, run as 2 lanes | a 25 kg (55 lb) sled DRAG over 15 metres, run as 2 lanes | 20 metres of frogger jumps | 4 kg (9 lb) in each hand over 50 metres | 20 metres with no weight | 50 squats holding a 1 kg (2 lb) ball, with no throw to a target |
| 10-11 | No, one load for girls and boys | an Entry lap, a Middle lap and an Exit lap | 50 kg (110 lb) over 15 metres, run as 2 lanes | a 40 kg (88 lb) sled DRAG over 15 metres, run as 2 lanes | 20 metres of burpee broad jumps | 6 kg (13 lb) in each hand over 50 metres | 20 metres with no weight | 50 squats holding a 2 kg (4 lb) ball, with no throw to a target |
| 12-13 | Yes | a 2-lap Entry run and a 2-lap Exit run | Girls: 60 kg (132 lb) over 30 metres, run as 4 lanes Boys: 70 kg (154 lb) over 30 metres, run as 4 lanes |
Girls: a 25 kg (55 lb) sled PULL over 30 metres, run as 4 lanes Boys: a 50 kg (110 lb) sled PULL over 30 metres, run as 4 lanes |
40 metres of burpee broad jumps | Girls: 8 kg (18 lb) in each hand over 100 metres Boys: 12 kg (26 lb) in each hand over 100 metres |
Girls: 5 kg (11 lb) over 40 metres Boys: 7.5 kg (17 lb) over 40 metres |
Girls: 50 wall balls with a 2 kg (4 lb) ball to a 2.4 m target Boys: 50 wall balls with a 3 kg (7 lb) ball to a 2.4 m target |
| 14-15 | Yes | one lap between every workout station | Girls: 70 kg (154 lb) over 30 metres, run as 4 lanes Boys: 102 kg (225 lb) over 30 metres, run as 4 lanes |
Girls: a 50 kg (110 lb) sled PULL over 30 metres, run as 4 lanes Boys: a 78 kg (172 lb) sled PULL over 30 metres, run as 4 lanes |
40 metres of burpee broad jumps | Girls: 12 kg (26 lb) in each hand over 100 metres Boys: 16 kg (35 lb) in each hand over 100 metres |
Girls: 7.5 kg (17 lb) over 40 metres Boys: 10 kg (22 lb) over 40 metres |
Girls: 50 wall balls with a 3 kg (7 lb) ball to a 2.4 m target Boys: 50 wall balls with a 4 kg (9 lb) ball to a 2.7 m target |
Read the sled pull column down the page and you will notice the numbers do not simply climb. That is not a table error, and the 12-13 section below explains it.
If your child is 8 or 9 on race day
This is the entry band, and its movements sit furthest from the adult race. Running is structured as an Entry lap, a Middle lap and an Exit lap. The sled is dragged rather than pulled: the station is a 25 kg (55 lb) sled DRAG over 15 metres, run as 2 lanes. The jump station is not a burpee at this band but 20 metres of frogger jumps.
The lunge carries no external load at this band, and is simply 20 metres with no weight. The wall ball station is 50 squats holding a 1 kg (2 lb) ball, with no throw to a target. On the machines, the SkiErg is set at 300 metres and the rower at 200 metres.
If your child is 10 or 11 on race day
The running keeps the same shape as the youngest band: an Entry lap, a Middle lap and an Exit lap. Loads still apply equally to girls and boys. What changes in kind, rather than only in load, is the jump, and the rulebook sets that boundary this way: the 8-9 age group jumps like a frog instead of performing a burpee broad jump, and the burpee broad jump starts at age 10. So the station becomes 20 metres of burpee broad jumps.
The sled figures step up while the pull station stays a drag. The push station is 50 kg (110 lb) over 15 metres, run as 2 lanes. The pull station is a 40 kg (88 lb) sled DRAG over 15 metres, run as 2 lanes. The lunge is still unloaded at 20 metres with no weight, and the wall ball station is still a squat rather than a throw: 50 squats holding a 2 kg (4 lb) ball, with no throw to a target. Machine distances rise to 400 metres on the SkiErg and 300 metres on the rower.
If your child is 12 or 13 on race day
Five things change at this boundary at once, more than at either of the other two. Loads begin to split by gender. The sled variant changes, and the rulebook words that boundary as follows: the 8-9 and 10-11 age groups drag the sled, and the 12-13 and 14-15 age groups pull it. The lunge gains a sandbag, described in the rulebook this way: the 8-9 and 10-11 age groups lunge unloaded, and the sandbag is introduced at age 12. And the wall ball becomes a throw rather than a squat, with the rulebook putting that boundary here: the 8-9 and 10-11 age groups perform squats holding the ball, and the throw to a target starts at age 12. Running changes shape too, to a 2-lap Entry run and a 2-lap Exit run.
A drop in the sled-pull number is not a typo. The 10-11 station is a 40 kg (88 lb) sled DRAG over 15 metres, run as 2 lanes. The 12-13 girls station is a 25 kg (55 lb) sled PULL over 30 metres, run as 4 lanes. The figure goes down across that boundary because the movement changes from a drag to a pull and the distance doubles at the same time. Comparing the two numbers on their own compares two different stations.
The rest of the band lands where the table above shows it. One cross-check worth making while reading that table: the 12-13 boys and the 14-15 girls carry identical figures at all five gender-split stations: the sled push, the sled pull, the farmers carry, the sandbag lunge and the wall ball. So the bands are not a single ascending ladder.
If your child is 14 or 15 on race day
This is the band closest in shape to the adult race. Running becomes one lap between every workout station. That is the adult pattern. The 14-15 boys division is the one place in the format where the wall ball target is raised, and that station is 50 wall balls with a 4 kg (9 lb) ball to a 2.7 m target. Machine distances reach 600 metres on the SkiErg and 500 metres on the rower.
The 14-15 boys sled push carries an adult load over a shorter distance
According to the official HYROX Youngstars rulebook, the boys 14-15 sled push is set at 102 kg (225 lb) over 30 metres, run as 4 lanes. That is the same sled load as adult Open Women, whose push is set at 225 lb (102 kg) under the adult HYROX rules, but the adult sled push covers 50 m, run as 4 x 12.5 m shuttle lanes. The load matches and the distance does not, so a comparison that quotes the load without the distance overstates how close the two stations are.
For the adult side of that comparison, our HYROX weights guide covers the adult station loads, and the weight standards tool returns the loads for a chosen adult division. Both cover adult HYROX divisions only, so neither is a Youngstars lookup.
How the running is structured in HYROX Youngstars
The rulebook gives the lap length as between 200 and 275 metres per lap. It also fixes where those laps sit in the two youngest bands, placing them this way: the Entry lap opens the race, the Middle lap falls between stations 4 and 5, and the Exit lap falls between stations 7 and 8.
At 8-9 and 10-11 the running takes the same shape: an Entry lap, a Middle lap and an Exit lap. At 12-13 it becomes a 2-lap Entry run and a 2-lap Exit run, and at 14-15 it is one lap between every workout station. Missing a lap is scored rather than ignored: the rulebook applies a 90-second time penalty per missed lap.
The farmers carry is counted in laps as well, and the rulebook states that 50 metres is one lap and 100 metres is two laps. So the two youngest bands cover one carry lap and the two oldest cover two.
SkiErg and rowing distances by band
Neither machine station splits by gender at any band, so these two columns depend on age alone.
| Age band | SkiErg | Rowing |
|---|---|---|
| 8-9 | 300 metres | 200 metres |
| 10-11 | 400 metres | 300 metres |
| 12-13 | 500 metres | 400 metres |
| 14-15 | 600 metres | 500 metres |
The rulebook also sets the machine dampers: the SkiErg damper to 3 and the rowing damper to 4.
What race day looks like for a HYROX Youngstars parent
Two separate official documents cover this, and they are worth keeping apart. The HYROX Youngstars rulebook covers the handover itself, setting out that the child is handed over at the start zone to begin their race preparation.
The course rules for spectators come from a different place. The official HYROX Youngstars FAQ on the event landing page states that parents may not walk alongside their child, may follow the run track from behind the fences, and each station has spectator viewing. That is the FAQ's wording rather than the rulebook's, so treat it as event guidance and check it against the venue information for the specific race. Our HYROX rules guide covers the equivalent adult race regulations.
What this guide does not cover
Three things sit outside the rulebook this guide is built on, so they are not answered here. Event dates and venues change by season and are published on the official HYROX Youngstars event pages, not in the rulebook. Ticketing and pricing are handled per event in the same place. And this guide covers the individual Youngstars format only, so it makes no claim about any doubles or team offering. For anything in that list, the official Youngstars page linked below is the source to check.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a junior HYROX?
Yes. HYROX Youngstars is the official youth race format, open to children aged 8 to 15 years. It is not a scaled entry into the adult race but a separate format with its own rulebook, its own divisions and its own loads.
What is the youngest age to do HYROX Youngstars?
The format opens at age 8 and covers four age groups: 8-9, 10-11, 12-13 and 14-15 years. A child's band is set by the racer's age on the day of the race, not their age when the ticket was booked.
What is the race format for HYROX Youngstars?
The race runs over 8 workout stations with running between them. In rulebook order the stations are SkiErg, Sled Push, Sled Pull or Drag, Burpee Broad Jump or Frogger Jump, Rowing, Farmers Carry, Sandbag Lunges, Wall Balls or Squats. Four stations change the movement itself between the younger and older bands, not just the load or the distance, and the running structure differs by band as well.
How many divisions does HYROX Youngstars have?
HYROX Youngstars has 8 divisions, one for each age band and gender combination. Rankings are decided on the fastest time within each age group and gender division, so a child competes against others of the same age band and gender.
Do HYROX Youngstars boys and girls lift different weights?
In the two older bands, yes, and in the two younger bands, no. The HYROX Youngstars rulebook sets it this way: the 8-9 and 10-11 age groups use one load for both genders, and the 12-13 and 14-15 age groups split loads by gender. The divisions themselves are gender-split at all four bands, so a nine-year-old girl and a nine-year-old boy race the same loads but are ranked apart.
How heavy is the HYROX Youngstars sled push?
It depends on the band, and from age 12 on the child's gender. The lightest is the 8-9 band at 35 kg (77 lb) over 15 metres, run as 2 lanes. The heaviest is the boys 14-15 division at 102 kg (225 lb) over 30 metres, run as 4 lanes.
How far do HYROX Youngstars athletes run?
The rulebook gives the lap length as between 200 and 275 metres per lap, and the number of laps varies by band. The 14-15 band runs one lap between every workout station, while the 8-9 band runs an Entry lap, a Middle lap and an Exit lap.
Do the youngest Youngstars do burpees?
Not in the 8-9 band. At 8-9 the station is 20 metres of frogger jumps, and from age 10 it becomes 20 metres of burpee broad jumps. The distance then doubles at age 12, where the station is 40 metres of burpee broad jumps.
Do Youngstars throw the wall ball to a target?
From age 12 onwards, yes. Below that the ball is held through a squat instead of being thrown. The rep count does not change with age: it is 50 in each band, and what varies is the ball weight and, in the oldest boys division, the target height.
Can a parent go on the course with their child?
No. The official HYROX Youngstars FAQ states that parents may not walk alongside their child, may follow the run track from behind the fences, and each station has spectator viewing.
What is the penalty for missing a run lap?
The HYROX Youngstars rulebook applies a 90-second time penalty per missed lap.
Is HYROX Youngstars the same as the adult HYROX age groups?
No. Adult HYROX age groups start at 16 and do not change the loads. HYROX Youngstars sits below that entirely, and its bands do change the loads.
References
- Official HYROX Youngstars rulebook, Season 25/26. The source for the Youngstars divisions, loads, distances, running structures and penalty stated above. The adult sled push figures quoted for comparison come from the adult HYROX rules, not from this document.
- Official HYROX Youngstars landing page and FAQ. The source for the spectator and course access wording only, which is FAQ text rather than rulebook text.
- HYROX Youngstars video, official HYROX channel. Footage of the format, embedded above; not a source for any figure on this page.